Chain-welding machine.



M. B. RYAN. CHAIN WELDING MACHINE, APPLIGATION FILED nEo. 27, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. a, 1911.

10 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

M. B. RYAN. CHAIN WELDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 27, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. 11, 1911.

1,023,129. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

10 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Patented Apr. 16, 1912 10 8HEETS-SHEET 3.

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M. B. RYAN. CHAIN WELDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 27, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. 11, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

M. B. RYAN.

GHAIN WELDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.27,1907. RENEWED SEPT. a, 1911. 1,02 3, 1 29.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

10 SHBETSSHEET 5-' Er H;

M. B. RYAN.

CHAIN WELDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILEDDEO. 27, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. s, 1911.

1,023,129. 1 Patented Apr.-16, 1912.-

10 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

IHIII II IIIIIHHHHIM l wa ntoz $51 Hoe-11c I M. B. RYAN. CHAIN WELDING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 27, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. 8, 1911.

1,023,129, Patented-Apr.16,1912.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

F |/|/fl ozmekp M. B.' RYAN.

CHAIN WELDING MACHINE. APPLICATION IILEDYDEO. 27, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. a, 1911.

v 1 023 129. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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Q Qwmw W M. B. RYAN. CHAIN WELDING MACHINE. APPLIOATIION FILE 1) RENEWED SEPT. 8, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912. HEET SSHEET 9.

M. B. RYAN. v CHAIN WELDING MACHINE. I APPLICATION 1,023,129.

FILED DEC. 27, 1907. RBNEWEDSEPT. 8, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 10.

UNITED STATESIPATENT orricn.

MICHAEL s; RYAN,

OF BOSTON, MASSAOI HUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MCKINNON'CHA1N/' COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CHAIN-WELDING. MACHINE.

Specification of Letters! latcnt.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL B. RYAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a l certain new and useful Improvement in a Chain-Velding Machine, and do hereby de-.

clare that the following is. a' full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,-,in which t Figure 1 is a top plan view of. a machine embodying my invention, the parts at the left hand side ofthe machine being shown in the position of having finishedthe return sidewise movement, the central jaw and the squeezing jaws being ready to move for- 5 ward against the chain, and the parts at the righthand side being shown at the moment when the contact has just been broken, the central jaw about to be retracted, the squeezing jaws being thrown together and the clamps being'raised in a way to permit the feeding movement; Fig. 2 is a front elevation; Fig. 3 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the right hand end of the machine; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the left hand welding mechanism; Fig. 5 is "a cross sectional view on the line 5+5 of Fig. fl; Fig. 6 is a similarview on the line (S6,of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a similar view on the line 77 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of'the welding mechanism, showin the cam for moving one of the main sli es; Fig. 9 a top plan view of the right handwelding mechanism on an enlarged scale; Fig. 10 is a diagrammaticview of the circuits of the illustrated embodiment of my welding machine.' v

The object of :my invention has been to provide a welding machine which is an improvement upon the. machine thatis the subjectof an application forpatent'filed by me June" 20, 1906, Serial #322,590, and which machine while specially ,ada ted for welding chain, also has features w ich are:

pr1mary"coils. H p secondaries with lugs that are adaptedto' I it horizontally. In passing from the first to.

Application illed December 27, 1907, Serial No. 408,281. Renewed September 8, 1911. Serial No. 648,397.

the second welding apparatus, the chain is given a quarter turn about its axis, so that those links which were vertical in passing the first set of apparatus arehorizontal .in passing the second 'set, and are operated upon by said second set.

It is to be understood that the machine which is illustrated is but one of many possible'embodiments of my invention, and that while it is chosen as the best embodiment of my invention known to me,-it is=only to be regarded as an illustration of the principles of my invention.

The machine which is illustrated in thedrawings consists of a table 10 supported upon legs. Brackets 11 are formed on the tableto' support the secondaries of :the

transformers. The secondaries 12 are each fitted between av pair of said brackets, and are providedwith lugs 12 that are adapted to rest upon and be bolted to the said brackets. The transformers, as usual, have laminated cores. 13, the plates being held,

together by'endI frames 14:, which are drawn rest upon the table is a very convenient one,

together] by bolts 15. There are the usual,

This arrangement of ;-the r f permitting the transformer to be readily; attached to or removed from the ma'chine' onda-ry is mounted an electrode 16, the elecwithout thedisniantling of any other parts. Upon the' upper terminals of each SQC'.

tacting surfaces-of the terminals and elec- ,trodes being preferably scraped to make the most perfect'fitpossible'. Each electrode is secured to' its terminal by a' bolt 17-, the bolt passing through a slot in the electrode so as to permit the electrodes "to be adjusted toward and from the work. For the purpose of effecting such adjustment a set screw l'8 is threaded in the terminal and presses against the electrode. The electrodes, are

provided with passages 19 topermit a cir-tr culation of-water through theni for cooling; the arrangement of pipes for the water is 5 not shown. There are thus twov pairs off electrodes, a rightand a left. pair,on the machine. 1

To present the chainto the electrodes, and

' an anti-friction roller 24, by which the slide is reciprocated upon the guide 20. The roller 24 is engaged by cams 25 and 26 that are removably attached to the face of a drum 27, the drum being fast upon a shaft 28 that is journaled in bearings parallel to and at the rear side of the table. The shaft 28 carries a gear 29 that is driven by a pinion 30 on the driving shaft 31. The driving shaft has a. belt pulley 32 that runs loose upon it, and that is engaged with the driving shaft by a clutch 33, the latter being operated by an arm 34 on a rock'shaft 35 that carries a handle 36, by which'it can be rocked. The cam 25 moves the slide 21 to the right, and the cam 26 moves it to the left. The amount of movement can be regulated by substituting cams of different width for the cams 25 and 26. The slide 22 is. in all respects like the slide 21 except that the boss carrying its cam-engaging roller 37 is at the right end of the slide instead of the left. This arrangement permits the. two welding apparatuses to be brought more closely together for convenient, inspection. As the parts carried by the slides 21 and 22 are exactly alike and arranged in the same way, only the parts upon one of said slides will be described. The slides 21 and 22 are each provided with a guide way 38 transverse to the guide-way 20, that is, extending front and back of the machine. In the guide-way 38 is mounted a cross slide 39, the latter having an anti-friction roller 40 that is engaged by a path cam 41 in a disk 42 so that by the rotation of the said disk the slide 39 is moved toward and from the electrodes. Two pins .43 and 44 are secured in the upper face of tne slide 39, and levers 45 and 46 are pivoted upon the said pins. At their front ends the said levers have jaws 47 -1nd 48 respectively for engaging the links of the chain as hereinafter described. The said jaws are preferably adjustable on the levers and removable from them, and for that purpose the jaws are, as shown in Fig. 6, provided with ribs 49 which engage slots in the upper surfaces of the levers, and each jaw is secured to its lever by a bolt 50 passing through a slot in the jaw. Each lever has a lug 51 formed thereon and an adjusting screw 52 threaded through said lug to bear against its respective jaw. The pins 43 and 44 are connected by a plate 53 having holes in which the said pins are received,

formed on the disk 42, upon which a hub of the disk 59 is secured.

In order that. thedisks and. path cams may travel with the slide 39 throughout its movement, the sleeve 60 is splined upon the shaft 28, and the slide 38 is provided with an arm 61, Figs. 4, 6 and 9, which is recessed in its upper face to-receive the sleeve 60, and

which is of such width as to fit between the disk 42 and the hub of the disk 59. By this construction, whenever the slide 21 or the slide 22 is reciprocated along the guide-way 20, the arm 61 will cause the two disks to have acorresponding movement, so that the said disks are always in proper relation to the parts which their cams operate. It will be seen that the cam 41 causes the jaws 47 and 48 to approach and recede from the electrodes, and that the cam in the disk 59 causes the said jaws to be moved toward each other or to be separated.

For the purpose of forcing the link to be weldedagainst the electrodes, a central jaw 62 (see especially Fig. 6) is mounted in a slot formed in the plate so that it can reciprocate toward and from the electrodes. The rear end of the jaw 62 has a head 63 against which a plug 64 is forced by a spring 65, the plug and spring being mounted in a socket formed in a boss 66 on the slide 39. The forward movement of the jaw 62 'is limited by the striking of its head 63 against the rear side of the plate 53. The

chain isguided through the machine by resting upon lates 67, 68, 69 and 70 which are supporte upon studs secured to the table,each of said plates, as shown in Fig. 6, having a plane upper surface upon which the horizontal links are supported, and having a groove 71 in which the vertical links are received.

j The jaws 47 and 48 under the combined action of the slide 21 and the slide 39 have a four-way motion. They approach a-link and squeeze it together, and then when the joint has been welded they feed the chain until the next link has been brought in position. Then the jaus release the link and are retracted, and finally theyare moved to the original position ready to engage the new link. T

In order to hold the chain while the jaws are letting go of one link and engaging the next link, I provide clamps of any suitable provided. with an anti-friction roll 74. The said anti-friction roll. rests upon and is operated by a cam 75 on the shaft 28, the

roller being held against the cam by a spring 76. The clamping jaws are carried by arms 77 fast on the shaft 7 2, each having a socket 78 formed in its outer. end. The cylindrical clamping jaws 79 are mounted in the said sockets and are provided with stems 80 whose outer ends are engaged by a thumb nut 81. A pin 82Aon the stem engages a slot interposed between a'shoulder formed on the in the lever end'to prevent the jaw from .turning- A spring 83 surrounds the stem of the jaw in a socket and forcesthe said jaw downward. The degree of pressure can be regulated by the position of the thumb nut onthe jaw stem Each jaw is recessed at its sides so as to nearly fit between the vertical links, and to reach and 'bear upon the horizontal links. Each pair of electrodes has its own pair of clam ing jaws operated by its own cam 75, so t at the two setsof weldin apparatus can operate at-diiferent times or purposes to be later described.

and on .at the) proper times, controllers are provided. The form of controller which I prefer to use is thatillustrated in Fig. 7.

A bracket;84 is secured upon the table, and

a sleeve 85 of insulating material is secured in such bracket. The said sleeve preferably has a flange 86 at its rearward end'to' prevent its being forced forward in the bracket, Within the sleeve 86 is mounted a sleeve 87 of conductive material, a spring 88'being exterior of the sleeve 87 and one formed on the interior of the sleeve 86 so that the sleeve 87 is yieldingly forced rearward. The rear ward position of the sleeve 87 is controlled by the contact of a washer 89; which is mounted uponsaid sleeve to press against a shoulder formed thereon, and which also strikes upon the rearend .of the sleeve85. A wire 90 of the primary circuit of the transformer has agwasher which is held against thewasher 89 by a washer 91, the latter beingforced home by a nut 92 secured on the sleeve 87. The sleeve .87 has its rear face armed with a disk 93., of German silver or other 'metal of good conductivity, and also has a carbon pencil 94 mounted in a centrally formed hole therein. A sleeve 95 is fastened as by a screw 96 in the forward end of a central bore in the sleeve 87 and a sleeve 97 is slidably mounted'in the sleeve 95, the forward end of the sleeve 97 having a collar 98 thatbears in a bore in the sleeve 87. spring99' is interposed between the sleeve 95 andthe collar 98, and thus yield- In .order to turn' the welding current 0a spa ingly tends to force the sleeve 97 rearward.

vA screw 100 is mounted in the sleeve 97 bears againsta cam 103 on the shaft 28. A

spring 104% keeps the roller in contact with p the cam. In the slide 101 'is formed a bore 3 105 in line with the sleeve 86, and a sleeve 106 of insulating material is mounted inthe said bore. Within the sleeve 106 is a sleeve 107 of conductive material, the sleeve having a flange at its forward end and having 35 washers 108 and 109 atits rearward end.

corresponding to the washers 89 and'91.

A wire 110 of the primary circuit of the transformer has a washer that is clampedbetween-the washers 108 and 109. A nut 90 111 on the-sleeve 107 serves. to clamp the washers 108 and 109 together, and to draw a collar on the forward end of the, sleeve 107 firmly against the sleeve 106. The face of the sleeve 107, is preferably provided with 95 a disk 11?, of German silver or similar metal. A carbon pencil 113 is mounted in a central 'bore in the sleeve 107, and a screw.

114 is provided for adjustment of the said pencil. f 100 In the operation of .the circuit breaker,

the pencil 94 is so adjusted as to project beyond the disk 93, so that when the a cam forces the slide forward, the pencils will be the arts to first come in contact. Thusany 105 i king'which comes from the breaking of the circuit will occur upon the pencils. Af-

ter the carbons have come in contact, the

German silver disks will be brought in contact and afford ample cross section to con- 110 duct the current without heating. The 1 spring 99 will permit the pencil 94 to yield,

and yet will keep itfirmly against, the opposing pencil. Likewi se'the spring 88 will permit the German silver disk 93 to yield, 11

andyet will keep it firmly in contact with the opposingdisk. VVhenthe circuitis to be broken, the slide will retreat, first separating the German silver disks; but as the,

pencils will still be in contact,no breaking-1:20

of the'circuit will occur, and thesaid disks will not be injured. After the "said. disks have been separated, the carbons will separate, and the sparking due to the" breaking of the circuit will take place'j only'on the other about the shaft, the length of'the surface which acts upon the roller 102m be varied, and the length of time during w ich the current is supplied be accordingly controlled.

In Fig. 10 the circuits-of my machine are illustrated diagrammatically. In this figure the two secondaries 12 of the transformers are, as before stated, provided with their laminated cores '13. The current is received from the main 115 and flows around the primary coil 116, and thence by the lead 117 to the circuit breaker or controller. The slide of the left-hand controller is shown as operated by the engagement of a roller 118-0.n a bar 119 carried by the said slide with a path cam 120 in the face of a bevel gear 121; Similarly the right-hand controller is shown as operated by the engagement of aroller 122 on a bar 123 carried bythe slide of such controller with a path cam 124 in the face of a bevel gear 125. The two bevel gears are shown as driven simultaneously by means of bevel pinions 126 and 127 on a shaft 128. In the machine, as actually constructed, the path cams would be perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 10, but in order to illustrate the entire movement in a single figure, I have shown the path cams as formed on the faces of bevel gears, because in this manner they can be illustrated 'as in the plane of the paper. The main 115 is also connected to theright-hand primary 129, the opposite end'of which primary is connected by a lead 130 with" the controller. The movable, members of both controllers are connected with a main 131. The path cams 120 and 124 are so formed that the welders start at different times, and that one welder is not entirely cut off before the other welder is started, for reasons to be later described.

In the operation of the above illustrated embodiment of my invention, he chain is led through the machine until tne first horizontal link is opposite the first pair of electrodes. The parts'will be assumed to be in the position illustrated in Fig. Qin which the jaws 47 and 48 are retractedand separated, and the central jaw 62- is likewise retracted, the slide 39 being at the rear end of its travel. The machine being set in motion, the slide 39 .will be moved toward the electrodes carrying the still separated jaws 47 and 48 opposite the ends of the central horizontal link and projecting them through the vertical links. The toggle at this time is bent, as illustrated in Fig. 4. As the slide 39 moves toward the electrodes, the central jaw 62 will be yieldingly forced against the link, pressing the latter firmly against the faces of the electrodes. At this instant the clamps-rise out of contact with the chain, the link having been firmly seated by the central jaw, and the slide 57 is forced forward straighteningthe toggle and cansthe 'aws 47 and 48 to a. proach each ot er an get a firm hold of t e link. The parts are now in the position illustrated in Fig. 9. The circuit is then completed by the controller of Fig. 7, and maintained until the link has been properly heated, after which the jaws 47 and 48 squeeze the weld together, and the current is broken. The

jaws 47 and 48 then retract sufficiently to' withdraw the link from contact with the electrodes, and while still holding the link squeezed together move in the feeding elrect-ien until the next horizontal link is thus has time to heat the link more gradually, and a softer and better weld is obtained than if the link is heated suddenly. As one welder is already in operation when another welderis started, the current is divided between the two, and thus the starting welder gets a current of reduced quantity. By this. arrangement also. the machine need'only be supplied with half the.

current which it would need if the welders operated simultaneously.

.The above illustrated machine has among others the following advantages: It is a machine of great simplicity. The electrodes are stationary, and the only moving parts which engage the chain are the jaws or clamps. These jaws not only squeeze the link during the welding operation, but feed the chain. The simplicity permits a high speed. As before stated, the welders start at diflerent times. thus automatically regulating the current for each other in a most desirable way, and permitting a current of lesser quantity to be used than if they 0perated simultaneously. The main slides be-- machine can be started to work upon the first link of the chain, and will weld every link of the chain to the last link thereof."

The chain can easily be removed from the machine or from either welder without drawing the entire chain through the ma- -ation before the second set. I

. chine, and it can as easily be replaced. As

the feeding occurs while the welded link is cooling, a high speed is made possible.

I claimi I 1. In a chain welding machine, the com bination of two sets of stationary electrodes, two sets of means for presenting chain links to said stationary electrodes, and means -for starting the welding operationby the electrodes successively after links have been pre sented thereto by the presenting means.

2. In a chain welding machine, the combination of two sets of welding devices including stationary electrodes, means for forcing links against'said electrodes, means for starting one set to weld, means for starting the second set-to weld before the first set has completed its operation, the first set being caused to complete the welding oper- 3. In a chain welding machine, the combination of two sets of stationary electrodes, two devices for forcin links j of a chain against the respective e ectrodes, means for operating said two devices, and for turning on the current, first on one set of electrodes and then on the other, the-current being maintained upon the first set until it is turned on upon the second set.

4. In a chain welding machine, the combination of electrodes, jaws for squeezing alink, and means for both moving said jaws toward and .from said electrodes and for moving them in the direction of feed.

5 In a chain welding machine, the combination of electrodes, link-engaging jaws,- means for advancing said jaws to engage a link, and means for moving said jaws to feed said link.

ing the link, and means for moving said jaws to feedthelink while still squeezing the same.

7. In a chain welding machine, the combination of two pairs of electrodes, two pairs of jaws, and means for causing each of said pairs of jaws to engage a link and then to feed it, said pairs of jaws performing the' said operationat different times.

8. Ina chain welding machine, the combination of two pairs of electrodes, two pairs of link-engaging jaws, means for causing said jaws to engage a link, to squeeze it and then to feed it, and chainrguides ermitting the chain to be turned in assing fi om one to the other of saidpairs a? electrodes.-

9. In a chain welding machine, the combination of a pair of electrodes, a pair of linkengaging jaws, means for causing said jaws to engage a linkand then feed it, and clamps adapted to engage the chain while the jaws are releasing one link and engaging the next one. 7

10. In a chain welding machine, the combination of two pairs of electrodes, two pairs of link-engaging jaws, means for causing the said jaws to engage a link and then to feed it, two pairs of clamps, each of said pairs of clamps being adapted to hold the chain while not engaged by the correspondbination of stationaryelectrodes, jaws adapted to be advanced and retracted from saidelectrodes and to be squeezed together, and a central jaw between said first-mentioned jaws, adapted tobe yieldingly advanced and retracted toward and from said electrodes to force a link against the latter.

, 13. In a chain welding machine, the combination of stationary electrodes, a main slide movable parallel to the face of said electrodes, a cross slide mounted upon said main slide, jaws ivoted upon. said cross slide, and means or operating said cross slide and for ening and closing said jaws.

14. In a chain welding machine, the combination of a pairpof stationary electrodes, a main slide movableparallel to the face of said electrodes, a cross slide mounted upon said main slide, levers ivoted upon said cross slide, jaws ad'ustably attached tosaid levers, and remova le cams operating said main slide.

.15. In a chain welding machine, the combination of a pair of stationaryelectrodes', a main slide movable parallel to the face of said electrodes, a cross'slide mounted upon ,said main slide, levers pivoted upon said cross slide, jaws adjusta y attached to said levers, removable cams operating said main *"slide; and chain-holding clamps that are ad-- justable parallel to the face of said elecdes 16-. In a chain welding machine, the combinationflof stationary electrodes, a main slide movable parallel to the face of said electrodes, a cross slide mounted on said main sllde, levers pivoted on said cross-slide,-

jaws on said levers, toggle lin connecting said levers, a slide connected wit the central pin of said links, and a cam for operating said slide. 7

17. In a chain welding machine, the com bination of stationary electrodes, a main slide movable parallel to the face of said electrodes, a cross slide mounted on said main slide, jaws pivoted on said cross slide, a central'jaw yielding-1y jmounted on said cross slide, and means for operating said slides and jaws.

18. In an automatic chain machine, the combination of stationary electrodes, link holding devices, means .or bringing said link holding devices into operative relation with' the stationary electrodes, and chain guides consisting only of, parts which engage the under sides of the chain, the said link holding devices at one period in the operation of the'machine being ithdrawn from over the chain, whereby the chain may be lifted from the machine without dismantling any parts of'said-guides. J

19. In an automatic chain machine, the

combination of electrodes, jaws for engaging a link and forcing itagainst said electrodes and for feeding the chain, and means for giving said jaws said movements, whereby said machine is adapted to weld the first link of a chain and to automatically continue the operation of welding links of the chain.

20. In an automatic chain machine, the combination .of electrodes, two sets of jaws for engaging links and forc'ing'their respective links against the corresponding electrodes, and for feeding the chain, and means for givin said jaws said movements.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I here hereunto set my hand.

MICHAEL E. RYAN.

ED ARD G. CoNonn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

v I Washington, D. C. 

